Selling a rusted or broken Toyota FJ Cruiser

In NHTSA's files the FJ is a short story: one generation, sold in the US for 2007 through 2014, with most complaints landing on the first year. One recall is worth checking before you decide, and three more touch some 2014 trucks. All of it is below.

One body, one engine, eight model years

Hino Motors built the FJ Cruiser for Toyota at Hamura, in Tokyo. Every US truck has the 4.0-liter 1GR-FE V6. Through 2009 it made 239 hp on premium; from 2010 it gained dual VVT-i and ran on regular, at about 260 hp. A 5-speed automatic came with rear drive or part-time 4x4, and a 6-speed manual only with four-wheel drive. The small rear access doors are hinged at the back and swing open like clamshells.

Toyota closed out US sales with the 2014 Trail Teams Ultimate Edition, 2,500 trucks. Hino kept building it for other markets until December 2022.

We took the complaint and recall figures for the FJ straight from NHTSA's databases on October 10, 2026. Of 908 complaints, 593 are on the 2007, 124 on the 2008 and 190 on the 2009-2014 trucks combined. One more is filed under model year 2006.

Frame and underbody rust

Structure is the FJ's biggest complaint area: 306 of 908, and 221 of the 2007's 593. Owners describe frames rusted badly enough to fail a state safety inspection. One 2007 owner writes that the frame rusted until the fuel tank came off the truck. Structure also leads the complaints on the 2008 and 2010.

No FJ recall, investigation or warranty extension covers this. The dealer guide for Toyota's 2017 frame-corrosion settlement names the Tacoma, Tundra and Sequoia and leaves the FJ out. So these are owner reports, and the repair bill is the owner's.

A windshield that ices over

NHTSA files 75 FJ complaints under visibility, and every one is on the 2007. Owners blame the steep windshield and a defroster vent set back from the glass, which they say lets ice build up in snow. Some also report wiper motors that quit.

Seat belts mounted in the rear doors

The front seat belt retractors on an FJ live inside the rear access door panels. Slam those doors hard for years and the panel can crack around the lower anchor. If the retractor pulls free, the belt may not hold someone in a crash. Recall 13V098 covers about 209,000 trucks from 2007 to 2013, and it began June 6, 2013.

Lamps, tires and the last trucks

Recall 13V163 covers about 208,000 FJs from 2007 to 2013 fitted with Toyota's auxiliary driving lamp kit. Its 55-watt bulbs made the combined light too bright, so dealers fit 35-watt bulbs. Recall 06V235 replaced Bridgestone Dueler and Dunlop Grandtrek tires with a possibly damaged inner bead on about 9,434 vehicles, early 2007 FJs among them.

The 2014 trucks drew their own recalls. On Trail Teams Ultimate Editions, shocks and springs were swapped at vehicle processing centers, and the front lower ball joint or lower arm bolts may be loose or missing. If both bolts come out, the driver can lose steering control. Recall 14V539 lists 2,501 of these trucks. Another 116 trucks built August 7-20, 2013 may have a weak weld on the intermediate steering shaft (recall 15V081).

Toyota's dealer notice for its low-pressure fuel pump recall (20V-012) also lists about 17,200 2014 FJ Cruisers built from early September 2013 to early August 2014. If that pump fails, the V6 can die at speed. That campaign spans many other Toyota and Lexus models as well.

The other 11 campaigns fix tire labels, tire pressure monitors and accessories fitted before sale, such as seat heaters. Toyota's regional distributors filed eight of them.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Recall campaigns count every campaign NHTSA lists for that year, distributor campaigns included. Many campaigns reach across several FJ years, which is why this column totals well past 17. For the right-hand column we skipped NHTSA's catch-all label for unknown or other problems.

Worth fixing, or time to sell?

Price the repair in writing first. Next, check what a running FJ of the same year, drivetrain and mileage brings. When the estimate swallows most of that value, the FJ is probably worth more to you sold as it stands. Work through these first:

1. Search the FJ's VIN on NHTSA's recall site. The rear-door seat belt recall matters most on trucks whose doors have been slammed for a decade.
2. Frame rust? There is no Toyota program to lean on. If the frame is why it failed a state check, failed inspection covers what that means for a sale.
3. A 2014 that stalls? Ask a Toyota dealer whether the fuel pump recall was done before you chase other causes.
4. Engine gone? See blown engine for how to weigh a replacement against selling.

Thinking of pulling the good parts and scrapping the rest? Part it out or sell it whole compares the two.

How to sell your FJ Cruiser whole

1. Note the basics: VIN, mileage, 4x2 or 4x4, manual or automatic, and what's wrong.
2. Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Describe where it's parked, whether a driveway, a back lot, a garage or a shop, and whether the wheels turn. A lift or oversized tires is worth flagging before the driver sets out. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Don't strip it. Keep the wheels, the catalytic converter and any add-ons on the truck. Anything already gone changes the offer, so say so up front.
5. At pickup, hand over the title and the keys, and show a photo ID. Plates follow your state's rule; see after you sell.

No title? Read junk car with no title first. Other Toyota trucks: the 4Runner, Land Cruiser and Tacoma, or all Toyota models.